


Discord

by Akoia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Ninja, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rebirth, Self-Insert, Team Bonding, Traditions, War, team seven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26337493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoia/pseuds/Akoia
Summary: Ichika Yamada is the youngest child of a noble clan with atenuousclaim to nobility. She's finally passed the exam to graduate and dons her new title as ninja for a brand new adventure the likes of which she never thought possible.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. From Today On, I Am A Ninja

The sun had crested over the horizon but Ichika had long since beaten it to the draw. She was practically vibrating with anticipation but she couldn't show it on her face. She stood in the mirror with her scissors in her hands. Her mother was going to be so _angry_ when she saw how much of her hair she'd cut. When she was still in the academy she'd kept it long, down to the middle of her back. Propper and lady-like just like her parents wanted. Now it hung just past her chin. "I think it's cute," she said, shrugging and putting the scissors on the table. She tied her hair up in a small bun at the top of her head and poked her mother's hairpin through the top. 

She adjusted her forehead protector, tying it around her neck, and put her slippers on. Today was the _day_. She'd worked as hard as she could and she'd finally passed the exam. She was a kunoichi. A real ninja of her hidden village. She walked down the stairs with her shoulders straight and her bag slung over her shoulder. Her two older brothers were already sat at the table. 

"Morning, rats," she said with a teasing grin. Ichigo huffed and rolled his eyes, not even looking up from his book.

Iseri glared at her and threw up his middle finger. "What the fuck happened to your hair? Finally crawl off your ugly fucking head?!"

"Language!" Their mother shouted from the kitchen. She came out with a tray of food in her hands, looking with disapproval at her two youngest. "Why can't you two act more like your brother? At least at the table." 

"Sorry," Iseri said. He and Ichika shared a look and he smirked. "So...who you think you'll be on a team with?" He asked. He fluttered his eyelashes at her and puckered his lips. "Maybe Sasu-chann?" 

Ichika blushed and sat at the table with her arms crossed over her chest. "Shut up," she grumbled. 

"Ichika!" Her mother snapped. "What on _Earth_ happened to your hair?!" She demanded, setting the food down in front of her children. 

"I...well I thought shorter hair would be more practical," Ichika said, running her fingers through her hair. "Since I'm going to be out in the field as a ninja now, you know?" 

Her mother huffed and rolled her eyes. "Ichika, honey, it's not too late to come learn proper etiquette with your older sister. Leave the fighting to the men, yes? You're a young lady, you shouldn't be worried about wars." She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "And you're not just any lady, you're-" 

"The daughter of a long line of nobility, the cream of the crop, superiorly bred. Yes, I _know."_ She clicked her mouth shut and took a drink of the milk that was left out for her. "If we're such fancy royalty why don't we have people to cook and clean for us? Like the Hyuga!" 

"Well, perhaps if my precocious youngest daughter agreed to learn how to be a proper noblewoman, we might be able to find her a husband who could provide her with servants. But unfortunately, she seems determined to go and play in the mud all her life." 

Ichika grit her teeth and ate silently. Both of her brothers looked uncomfortable, looking between their mother and sister. That was an argument that Ichika had with her mother practically every morning since she'd started taking her academy training seriously in the third year. But her father had been very firm that all of his children should be allowed to pick their own paths. 

The clan elders had been just as upset that Ichika didn't want to follow her older sister to the capital to learn how to be a good wife to some rich noble idiot she could extort for money. She was the daughter of the clan head and she had 'expectations.' Luckily her dad had stepped in on her behalf. 

Maybe the Yamada clan _had_ once been powerful, but it had fallen to something much more...humble three generations ago. But the remaining members of the clan had worked tirelessly to bring them back. Ichika thought it was a lost cause to chase the past. And Ichika had no intention of living her life for the greatness of a legacy she'd never even seen. 

Ichika finished her breakfast and left her plate on the table, trying to find her shoes in the mess that was her entrance cubby. Ichigo followed her to the front door, adjusting his glasses and crossing his arms over his chest. "Want me to walk you to school?" He asked. 

"I'm not a little kid anymore, I don't need anyone to hold my hand," she said. 

"That's not-," he sighed. "Will you _please_ let me walk you to school today. It's your last day, after all."

Ichika looked at him and shrugged. "Sure, let's go, or I'm going to be late." 

They left their house and walked briskly to the entrance of the clan's 'compound.' They were greeted by their aunt, who had their young cousin on her hip. "Good luck today, Ichika!"

"Thanks!" They jogged past her into the busy road where people were going about their day. Ichigo put a hand on her back and directed her around a few people who weren't paying attention. The walk to the academy took ten minutes, but it looked like all of Ichika's classmates had already gotten there. Some of the parents were standing outside talking. 

Ichigo and Ichika saw Shikaku Nara and both tensed and walked in the opposite direction. Ichigo stopped her outside the door of the academy. "You know...we're all proud of you," he said, not looking at her. "Well, Iseri, father, and I are proud of you. Mother will just take some time to get used to the idea. But I'm sure she's proud of you too." 

Ichika looked at the ground before gathering her nerves and wrapping her arms around her brother's midsection and closing her eyes. "Thanks!" She pulled away and grinned at him. "I'll do my best!" She gave him a thumbs-up before turning on her heel and jogging into the building. The bell was ringing anyway. She got into the classroom behind Ino and Sakura who were butting heads at the door. 

Ichika moved around them and took a deep breath. There he was, Sasuke Uchiha. He was very handsome, but Ichika had never had to nerve to talk to him like Ino did. She admired the blond girl for her strength. Ichika swallowed and took a step forward, maybe she'd say something to him. But at the very last second, she chickened out and sat on the other side of the room, next to Chouji who looked at her strangely. She was breathing heavily and her cheeks were dusted with pink. 

"Uh, you alright, Ichika?" He asked, putting his chips down. 

"Yeah! Thank you," she smiled at him and pulled out her notebook and a pencil. 

"I don't think we have class today," Chouji said. 

"Well...I didn't claw my way to the top of the class by being unprepared for pop-quizzes." She grinned and winked at him, sliding him a piece of paper and a pencil when he looked slightly panicked. 

"You aren't the top though," Chouji said. "Sasuke is rookie of the year, no surprise." 

"Yes," Ichika clicked her tongue. "But I _did_ get top in our academics. And I happen to be number two in the practicals...well I mean for the girls. Ino took the top spot." She sighed and clicked her pen a few times. "I did my best, you know."

"I don't doubt it at all," Chouji assured her. "Good job!" 

They fell silent when the door opened. Iruka=sensei walked into the room with his clipboard tucked under his arm. Ichika straightened up in her seat, hands folded in front of her. She glanced back over at Sasuke and thought maybe just _maybe._ No, she knew it was silly. There were thirty kids in their class, the odds of her being on the same team as Sasuke were slim.

Iruka gave them a short speech about how proud he was on them all and Ichika blushed lightly. Praise was always nice. "Team six, Sakura Haruno, Aoi Saito, and Shinji Ito." Iruka-sensei had already gone through most of the names of her classmates. "Team seven, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Ichika Yamada..." She heard Naruto groan across the room, but honestly, Ichika stopped listening. She looked over her should at Sasuke who seemed totally unaffected by even being placed on a team. 

When they were called to lunch Ichika stood up. She thought it would be a good idea to have lunch with her teammates. But both of them were gone when she turned around. Ichika frowned, holding her box lunch against her chest. She left the class and actually managed to find Naruto first.

"Hey! Naruto-" 

"Hold that thought!" Naruto yelled, pushing past her and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. 

"Well...I-I guess I'll go ask Sasuke if he'd like to eat lunch with us first." She nodded and smacked her forehead. She felt the determination bubbling in her stomach but when she stood outside of the music room where Sasuke usually ate lunch she felt it leave her body. She knocked before opening the door. Sasuke was leaned against the window but looked over at her when she stepped inside. He rolled his eyes and took a bite of his rice ball. 

"What?" He asked. 

"I...well I was wondering, maybe if you'd like to eat lunch with me and Naruto?" She cleared his throat and tried not to feel hurt when he rolled his eyes and didn't bother responding. "Well...the offer is open if you change your mind," Ichika said. She closed the door and _immediatly_ started to panic. What was she _thinking?!_ Sasuke hated all the girls in the class who had crushes on him. Of course, he wouldn't want to eat lunch with her.

She jogged down the stairs, determined to find Naruto. He was leaning against a tree panting. "Hey! Naruto!" She called, waving her hand over her head. "Do you want to-" 

"Ahhh!" He screamed, bolting away back into the bathroom. 

"I guess I'll just eat by myself then," she said. She wondered, defeated, back to the classroom. She'd just packed leftovers. Nothing special. But it still tasted amazing, her mother was an amazing cook. So she sat with a book and read in the afternoon light. When the other students came back to class, Ichika felt a bit bolder and sat next to Naruto who was sitting between her and Sasuke who was making it an obvious point that he was ignoring her. 

"Hey!" Naruto greeted. "Sorry about earlier I just...wasn't feeling weel."

Ichika smiled at him. "Don't worry, now that we're on a team, we can eat lunch together all the time, I'm sure."

The Jonin sensei came to pick up their students and Team Seven sat patiently waiting. And waiting. And _waiting._ Two hours later Iruka made an awkward exit, leaving them alone together. Naruto got restless and started poking around the room. He grabbed an eraser, lodging it between the wall and the sliding door.

"Pft," Sasuke grunted. "Our sensei is an elite Jonin, there's no way he'd fall for a silly trick like that." 

Ichika giggled. "But it would be kind of amazing if he did," she said, giving Naruto a wink. He grinned wickedly and gave her a thumbs up. 

"Maybe this will teach him not to be so late! He's the only one and the rest of our classmates already met their teachers! I'm ready to roll!" 

"Absolutely!" Ichika agreed, jumping over the desk and standing next to Naruto. "You know what, let's see if Iruka-sensei has any glue in his desk. We'll put some paper on the ground. So this lazy guy will get it stuck to his feet!" 

The two of them knelt on the ground snickering with glue on their hands while they laid out their trap. When they heard footsteps in the hallway they cackled madly, running back to their seats. They sat up straight with their hands crossed politely in front of them, but looking at each other caused them both to burst into laughter. 

A gloved hand slithered through the gap in the door, fingers wrapping one by one around the wood, slowly pushing it open. Even Sasuke leaned forward in his seat when they saw the silver head of hair starting to peek through the door. They watched, with raptured eyes as the eraser fell, plopping onto the head of their new teacher and onto the floor. Ichika's mouth hung open before she started to laugh, covering her mouth with her hands while Naruto was practically rolling around on the ground. 

"We got him! He totally fell for it!" Naruto laughed, pointing at the man who looked around the room with a blank, covered eye. 

Their teacher took a step into the room and stopped with a sigh when his feet touched the glued paper that was now stuck to the bottom of his shoes. He blinked once, twice, three times before he put his hands in his pockets and leaned back casually. "Hmmm," he said looking at all of them individually. "How can I put this? First impressions, you're all idiots, and I hate you!" He said, almost too cheerfully. "Team meeting on the roof! Don't be late!" He said, then disappeared leaving behind his defeated students who all shrugged before walking out into the hall. 

"Man, totally worth it," Ichika said and Naruto laughed loudly in agreement. 

* * *

Sitting on the roof across from their new teacher was a little more awkward than Ichika was expecting. He sat there looking at them for a minute before propping himself up casually against the railing of the building. "Alright," he said with a grunt. "Why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time." 

"Introduce ourselves?" Ichika asked. "What are we supposed to say? You already know our names." 

Their teacher shrugged. "Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies. Things like that." 

Naruto and Ichika shared a look. "Why don't you start then?" Naruto suggested. "I mean, before we talk tell us about you so we know how it's supposed to work." 

He pointed at himself, looking _slightly_ confused. "Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate? Meh, I don't feel like telling you that."

"Huh?" Naruto and Ichika said in unison, squinting our eyes.

'Kakashi' continued, totally ignoring them. "My dreams for the future...I never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."

Ichika turned to Naruto who seemed just as confused as she was. "All he told us...was his name," I said.

"Yeah, seriously, what's with this guy?" Naruto whispered.

"Okay, you turn," Kakashi said. "You on the right, you first."

Naruto didn't need any more prompting before launching into an animated monologue. "Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen that Iruka-sensei bought for me at the Ichiraku Ramen shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the ramen in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my dream for the future...is the be the greatest Hokage ever! Then the whole village will finally stop disrespecting me! And they'll treat me like I'm somebody important!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Alright, next," he said.

Ichika looked at Sasuke for a second, and he subtly shook his head. "Alright! My name is Ichika Yamada. I like playing the flute and..." She looked over at Sasuke and blushed, gasping. She cleared her throat. "Anyway! My hobbies are fishing with my older brother Iseri and studying. I dislike arrogant people, bullies, and people who want to tell me how I should live my life! My dream to the future is...well I guess my dream is to learn about everything the world has to offer." She finished with a smile. 

Kakashi flicked his finger to Sasuke who huffed. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he said blandly. "I _hate_ a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream. It's my ambition, and I _will_ make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and _kill_ a certain someone." 

Ichika and Naruto looked at their teammate with unmasked horror. Neither of them knew what to say, looking away from him. Both of them silently praying that Sasuke wasn't talking about them. 

"Good," Kakashi said, breaking the silence. "You're all unique and you all have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

Naruto cheered "Yes! What is it?!" He asked excitedly, fiddling with his headband.

"It's a task...that the four of us will do together."

"What? What? What? _What?!"_

"A Survival exercise."

"Huh?" Naruto seemed confused. "A survival exercise?"

"Ah, I think I understand," Ichika said. She looked at the boys. "My brother Iseri said that before becoming officially part of a squad, we have to pass our Jonin sensei's personal test. Otherwise...you get sent back to the academy. Or you can enter the Genin corps."

"Hmm, you're correct," Kakashi-sensei said. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Well educated, I see." 

Naruto and Sasuke both looked outraged. Kakashi started laughing darkly, shaking his head. "Of the 30 graduates in your class, only 12 will be accepted as Genin. In other words, this is a make it or break it pass or fail test. Meaning, the chances that you three will fail is at least, 40%." He turned to Ichika, chuckling when her eyes widened with slight fear."Did your brother tell you _that?"_

"No, sensei," she said, turning her head to look at her feet. 

"That's crazy!" Naruto yelled. "We worked so hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?!"

"Oh, that?" Kakashi said flippantly. "That was just to select candidates who might become Genin. Or not."

"What?!"

"That's just how it is. _I_ decide if you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five tomorrow morning. Make sure to remember your ninja gear."

Ichika tightened her hands into fists glaring at the stone ground. _"I have to pass, I have to prove to mother that this is the right path for me. Or it'll be off to the capital with me. Gods, I'd rather be dead than be someone's house wife.'_

Kakashi turned around, putting his foot on the railing. "That's it, your dismissed," he said with a wave, starting to push off. "Oh, wait, don't eat breakfast or else...you'll be sick." He said, turning back, his eyes dancing with a maniacal glee at the frightened looks his students gave him. 


	2. A Final Test, Pass or Fail?

Ichika liked her hair. It was a pretty seafoam green with a light gray touch to it. Actually, she thought her hair was really beautiful. But nothing when compared to her older sister. Izumi was very obviously their mother's favorite child. Beautiful, smart, and willing to do whatever it took to climb the social ladder in the capital. She'd been staying as a member of the daimyo's court during the summer since she was eighteen. But she'd returned home that night, unannounced. 

Ichika's mother directed her youngest child into the living room where the whole family was waiting. 

"Hello, dog," her sister greeted-ignoring their mother's scolding about name calling-from the couch, her beautiful silk kimono taking up two seats. "I heard you've decided to spend your life rolling around in the mud like a boy." 

Ichika sighed. "Yeah, good to see you too," she said, rolling her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Well, funny you should ask," she smiled prettily around the room. "Mother, father, I'm happy to tell you that I'll be getting married." She paused to let the congratulations pour out from the family. "To Tanaka Maito, the daimyo's most _trusted_ advisor."

"Oh my dear girl," their mother cried, wrapping her daughter in her arms. "Oh, you've done well! So good! The elders will be so pleased. You've done a wonderful thing for our clan, Izumi." 

Ichika and Ichigo looked at each other. Her older brother looked resigned and gave her a stern look when she rolled her eyes. "Congrats on finding the old rich man of your dreams," Ichika said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"Don't you dare-!" Their mother started, anger in her eyes. 

"Worry not, mother," Izumi said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know it must be hard for Ichika to understand. She's still just a little girl, after all." Her older sister winked wickedly, pulling out her fan and whipping it around like an empress. 

Their father didn't say anything. He looked at his daughter and nodded. He turned and left the room. The room was silent when they heard him putting on his shoes and the front door opening and closing. Izumi tightened her hands into fists, her pretty ocean blue nails digging into her skin that had grown sickly pale from lack of sun. She turned her glare on Ichika. "Why must you always upset everyone, dog?!" She snapped. 

"I literally didn't do anything, but whatever." Ichika looked to her mother, who looked stricken. She wanted to cut deep, but Iseri grabbed her by the wrist and wrenched her from the room, pulling her away from dropping the fireball jutsu on their family. 

"I get it, but there's no need to stir the pot," Iseri said when they were standing outside of her room. 

"I can't _stand_ her," Ichika growled, looking over her shoulder where she could still hear her mother and sister were still chatting about Izumi's new husband to be. "Why does mom fawn over her like that? She's nothing _special!"_

"Don't be a bitch," Iseri said with a roll of his eyes. "Look, you don't have to get along with her, but Izumi is your elder and also your sister. You can't be pulling that shit with her. Especially in front of our mom. You know how she gets about family honor. And Izumi might have just bought our clan out of the poor house. So maybe be a little more thankful to her." 

Ichika glared at her brother who raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do we need to be rich? Why does _she_ get to be so rude to me all the time? She used to _torture_ me when I was little." 

"Well...she's _mom's_ favorite, but only because she toes the line better than the other three of us put together. But you're dad's favorite. And all you had to was be born to earn it. I think she kind of resents that." 

"I'm not dad's favorite," Ichika defended herself. 

Iseri rolled his grey eyes and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, tell me about your teammates. You never got the chance to tell us when you got home." 

"Yeah, because Izumi always has to make everything-" Ichika cut herself off and followed her brother through their house. She sat on his bed and he sat at his desk, closing his mission report file. Ichika wasn't supprised her brother hadn't finished his paperwork from a mission he'd come home from three days previously. "Well, my teammates. Naruto Uzumaki and..." Ichika blushed, smiling happily, blushing to the tips of her ears. "Sasuke." 

"Oh~" Iseri wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Finally get to hang out with your precious Sasu-chan?" 

"Shut up," Ichika glared at him. She blew air out from her nose and looked down. "He doesn't really want to talk to me. I don't think he likes me. Naruto is really nice, though. I never would have guessed from being in the same class as him." 

"That's good, it's nice that you can at least be friendly with one of your teammates." He cocked his head to the side. "So what about your sensei?" 

"Oh, _him,"_ Ichika puffed out her cheeks. "He's the _worst._ Kakashi Hatake! He was like three hours late to pick us up. And he was so rude introducing himself. He said that we were idiots and that he hated us." 

Iseri raised an eyebrow at her. "Hatake is a sensei now? Hm..." 

"You've met him?" Ichika asked. 

"Yeah...uh, we had a mission together once two years ago. He didn't really strike me as the type to take on fresh Genin." Iseri shrugged. "He's cool...I mean, if you pass his test, you'll never gain a more loyal comrade." 

"About our test, what did you do for yours?" 

"Well, all the tests are different depending on the sensei. My test was a 'rescue mission.' And Ichigo's was an endurance test. At the end of the day, all the Sensei's tests have to test you Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu skills as well as your teamwork. To make sure that what you learned in the academy is adequate for the field. Otherwise, you have to be sent back. Or the Genin corps, but that's a fate worse than death, sometimes." 

"Really, why?" She asked. 

"Well, maybe I'm being dramatic, but most of the time you'll be stuck doing desk work all day. There's hardly a chance of being able to advance. You'll be a rookie forever. So...if you ever want to _be_ something in the Shinobi world, make sure you pass your test." 

"Any advice?" 

"Well, just remember your training, work well with your teammates, and remember to see through deception." 

* * *

Once more, Ichika beat the sun. She opened her eyes and her heart pounded in her chest for a moment. Today was the day. The make it or break it moment that decided how the rest of her career as a ninja would go. There was no way she'd back down even if she did fail. She couldn't be her beautiful sister, tantalizing noblemen with her sharp tongue and clever wit. So she needed this to work. She _needed_ her mother to understand that this was the right path for her. 

She got out of bed and stretched, putting on her new clothes. The clan symbol was sewn on her back in dark gray thread. Her knee-length pants and long-sleeved mid wast jacket were muted green/gray, just a few shades lighter than her hair. Her undershirt was black and high collared. The exposed skin of her arms and legs were covered in wrappings to support her joints, and her shoes were the same blue that most people wore. Underneath it all was a layer of armored fishnets. She thought her looked tough, with her headband around her neck. The Yamada clan had originated in the Kirigakure and it seemed their tastes hadn't changed since. She cocked her head to the side and grinned at the mirror, flashing her teeth. She winked at herself and giggled. 

The clock said 4:00, so she still had time to eat before she had to meet her team. But...she wasn't supposed to eat. Her sensei had specifically said that they'd throw up. Which meant that whatever they were doing was going to be strenuous. And she'd need the energy. So maybe just _one_ protein bar couldn't hurt. Her dad was already in the kitchen when she finally made her way down the stairs. 

He looked up from the paper and smiled. "Ichika, good morning," 

"Father," she said with a bow. 

"Off to your first mission?" 

"Yes...well it's just our sensei's test. Not anything exciting." 

"You might be surprised, life has a strange way of keeping things interesting." He stood up and walked closer to his daughter. "We are a proud clan, I'm sure you know that already." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Your mother, she's been taught how women should behave by her parents from a time long dead. Don't think poorly of her, she loves you. She just needs some time to adjust to more modern ways of thinking." 

"She's never going to get over me not wanting the same thing as Izumi." 

"Our clan was once great. Perhaps, even greater than the Uchiha. Or the Hyuga...don't tell anyone I said that. The elders of the clan, they long for the days where we can be as powerful as we used to be." He shrugged. "But you'll find that greatness in your own way." He bent down and kissed her temple. "I'm proud of you, sweet girl," he said. 

Ichika blushed and nodded. "Thanks," she said. She grabbed a protein bar off the table and ran out of the house, ripping the packaging off and shoving half of it in her mouth. She was later than her other two teammates who were waiting in the grass, both looking tired. Sasuke was propped against a tree, arms crossed, the same stoic expression he usually wore. But he still couldn't help the yawn that escaped him. Naruto was practically passed out, laying spread eagle in the dewy grass. 

"Good morning, Sasuke," Ichika greeted when she realized that he saw her. He rolled his eyes and looked away from her. She pretended not to be hurt. She looked at Naruto and nudged him gently with her foot. "Good morning, Naruto, how are you?" 

"Huh?" He blinked sleepily and rubbed his pretty blue eyes. He looked around the field. "That guy isn't going to be late to a meeting he set up, is he?" Naruto asked. 

Ichika laughed and sat down next to him. "I think he might be," she answered honestly. "My brother said that Kakashi-sensei didn't seem the type to want to take on Genin students." 

"Then why did he bother being a teacher?" Naruto asked, scrunching up his face. 

"I'm not really sure." Ichika looked at her watch and frowned. Kakashi-sensei was thirty minutes late. "You know what...I think he might be late again. I guess...well we have a few hours." 

So they waited. And waited 

And _waited_

The sun was high in the sky before they heard the rustling of trees above them. In a puff of smoke (at ten-thirty) Kakashi sat on a branch, waving at them cheerfully. "Hey there!" 

"You're late!" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. 

"Sorry," Kakashi said, not sounding sorry at all. "A black cat crossed my path, and I had to take the long way." He shrugged and lept from the tree, landing gracefully in the grass. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "So...are we ready to begin?" 

* * *

Ichika felt like the test was rigged against them, somehow. The second they'd been given the go-ahead to begin their attack for the bells, all three Genin had jumped away in opposite directions. The idea that three Genin would be able to take out a Jonin was-frankly-laughable. Splitting up only made their odds three times as bad. Maybe Sasuke would be able to get a bell. Rookie of the year, and all. But her and Naruto? Not a chance. 

She sat against the tree that she'd found herself in, but hadn't moved, trying to come up with a plan. There was no way she'd be able to even land a hit on Kakashi-sensei. If any of them wanted to get the bells, they'd have to work together. The only problem was, there were only two bells. No matter how good they were or how soon they snatched them the team would fall apart when they realized that one of them still had to go back to the academy. Or the Corps. Ichika clenched her hands into tight fists. She had no choice, she had to try and get the boys to work together. Or there would be no chance of them getting the chance to be on the team, anyways. 

The hardest person to convince of her plan was Sasuke, who she found crouched in a tree, waiting for his opportunity to strike. He rounded on her and punched her square in the stomach, sending her crashing out of the tree and onto the hard ground below. He jumped out with a kunai, ready for her follow up, but she held up her hands in surrender, trying to keep her small breakfast down. "W-wait," she gasped out. "Wait, Sasuke please, thirty seconds, that's all I ask." 

He sneered and rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this, I'm trying to get a bell." He put his kunai away and bent to jump back into the trees, but Ichika reached out and grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. "Let me go, idiot." 

"Just...thirty seconds." She said, letting go. "Please." 

Sasuke looked at her blankly for a second. "Get out of here, before I destroy you," he ordered her glaring daggers into her soul. 

Ichika was hurt, but she picked herself up and glared at Sasuke, gritting her teeth. "It's no question that you have the best practical scores in the class. But you're second best in _one_ subject. Do you remember that? It was Strategy! And can you guess who came in first place? _Me!_ So listen up, dummy!" She shouted at him. He looked at her in genuine surprise before it turned to anger again. But Ichika continued like she hadn't noticed. "Sure, you're strong. But Kakashi isn't just an elite ninja. He's the _elite_ of the elite. He wouldn't even break a sweat to take us all down one at a time. The only chance that any of us have is if we _all_ work together!" 

"Pft," Sasuke smirked unkindly at her. "You'd all just drag me down." 

"And Kakashi-sensei will drag you down into the mud." Ichika crossed her arms over her chest. "He's not just a chunin teacher from the academy, Sasuke, he's a war machine. If you want a chance at achieving your ambition you can't do it from the academy or the Corps. You need us." 

"...You're way to gutsy for a girl," Sasuke muttered bitterly. "What about dead last? You planning to take the bell from him after we've won?" 

Ichika paused. It wasn't an option that was totally off the table. Just snatch it, and his dreams, out from under him. "I don't know yet. It's a moot point if we don't even get the bells." 

He looked like he wanted to punch her again. "Fine," he eventually said. "But I'm taking one of those bells, and you're not going to stop me." 

"Deal," she said. "Let's go find Naruto." 

"Do you have a plan?" Sasuke asked. 

"Kind of," Ichika said. The two of them jumped into the trees, racing through the wooded area until they found Naruto already engaged with Kakashi. Ichika winced when the orange boy was sent crashing into the lake, Kakashi-sensei casually reading his book. "Distract Kakashi-sensei while I get Naruto. Disengage when we're gone, meet up three hundred yards south. We'll be there in two minutes." 

He nodded and jumped from the tree, leg aiming for Kakashi-sensei's head. He sounded surprised, whipping around and blocking his kick, causing Sasuke to turn head over heel and land in a crouch with a kunai drawn. Ichika landed on the ground silently and jumped into the pond, grabbing Naruto, covering his mouth, and dragging him from the clearing. She looked behind her and saw Sasuke jump back into the trees and disappear. Naruto managed to wiggle free and he backed away from her, pressing a hand to his wet chest. 

"Oi! What's the big idea?! I didn't need _your_ help!" He yelled at her, eyes wide. 

"Okay, _ouch,"_ she said. "Well, maybe we needed your help. You don't have to do this alone, you know. We're a team which means that we should all work together." She raised an eyebrow at him and watched as he shifted uncomfortably. "Look, even Sasuke agreed to help us fight sensei." 

"He _did?!"_ Naruto yelled and yelped when Ichika covered his mouth with her palm, turning her head right and left. 

"Shh!" She hissed at him. "We have no idea how serious Kakashi-sensei is about testing us." She waited a second before continuing. "It's called enlightened self-interest. See, even Sasuke recognizes that he can't beat Kakashi-sensei in a one on one fight. So we should all work together. So, what do you say?" She held out her hand and smiled at him. He looked down at her hand and his face twisted up. 

He took her hand, hesitant like he was afraid that he would hurt her if he held on too tight. "Sure, let's team up," he said, a bright grin on his face. 

"Alright, let's go!" She turned and jumped into the trees, knowing Naruto was hot on her heels. Sasuke was waiting casually in the bushes. He stepped out, a few leaves in his hair. 

"What's your plan?" Sasuke asked. 

"Great, okay. So We have..." Ichika looked down at her watch. "An hour, to get the bells from Kakashi-sensei. So here's a _basic_ plan that I came up with. Naruto, you're loud, and you have more chakra than either Sasuke or I. I suggest you act as a distraction. Keep attacking him, keep his eyes on you. No matter what, you have to make sure that he isn't able to pay attention to me or Sasuke."

Naruto laughed, giving Ichika a thumbs up. "You bet, I've got loads of tricks up my sleeves!" 

"Glad to hear," she looked at Sasuke. "And you know ninjutsu, do you have anything more powerful than what they teach us in the academy?" 

He scoffed at her, true amusement in his coal eyes. "Yes, I've got jutsu that would keep even 'the _elite'_ on their toes." 

"Great, if you could, while Naruto is hitting him, attack from the air, so he doesn't know where to look so his attention is too divided to notice me behind him." Ichika knelt and outlined the battlegrounds with a stick in the mud. She pointed to the spot that was the lake. "While the two of you are doing that, I will be hiding underwater. Try to push Kakashi towards the water. When I see the opportunity, I'll rush him and grab the bells. Assuming that doesn't work, Sasuke will make the next attempt at the bells while I join Naruto in the Taijutsu fight. We'll keep alternating between Sasuke above and Sasuke behind, but Naruto and I will follow the same patterns on his sides." 

"So essentially, we're just planning to overwhelm him."

"Yes...but like I said, it's just a basic plan. If anyone has anything else to suggest that would work better then..."

"No," Sasuke said, smirking. "This might actually work."

* * *

Naruto was a natural at distracting others. " _Heyyy!"_ He screamed at the top of his lungs, hanging off a tree. "I'm going to get those bells, just you watch!" He yelled. He made a hand sign and twenty identical Naruto's burst from his hands. 

"This again?" Kakashi-sensei said. He blocked the first Naruto, slamming his fist into the fake Naruto's face. It disappeared, but Naruto was ready with three more to take its place. "You can't beat me with numbers, not when they all have the same lack of skill as you," Kakashi-sensei said, taking out all three with a powerful kick. 

While he was busy trying to cut through all of Naruto's clones, Sasuke lept silently from the trees, his hands blurring together in practiced precision. Above the chaos that Naruto was causing, Kakashi couldn't hear him yelling his jutsu as fire rained down on him. Kakashi looked up in surprise, dodging the blasts of fire that would have incinerated him. Four Naruto hit him one after the other. Driving him further back towards the water. 

While they fought, Ichika waited in the water, eyes narrowed, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make her move. The boys continued their assault on the sensei. Sasuke delivering devastating punches each time Naruto managed to get his attention for more than a second. Kakashi kneed him in the face, sending him flying back, but the momentum caused him to have to back up, his foot ghosting at the edge of the lake bed. Ichika tensed, springing out of the water, grabbing for the bells that Kakashi kept at his hip. 

"You!" He shouted, surprised. He narrowed his visible eye and grabbed her by the hair, spinning and throwing her across the clearing. Naruto and Sasuke jumped after her, grabbing an arm each. The three of them crouched on the ground gasping. Ichika was panting, spitting water out of her mouth. Kakashi's body relaxed. "You three might as well give up. There's no way you can beat me." 

"You sure about that, Kakashi-sensei?" Ichika asked. She opened her hand and a single bell dangled in her fingers. Kakashi's eye widened and he looked at his hip, where sure enough, there was a missing bell. The three Genin used the opportunity to rush at him. Sasuke took the left and Ichika took the right. They each swiped at him with kunai, trying to stab them deep in his side. Naruto took the back, front, and above. 

Ichika jumped up, spinning in mid-air and slamming the heel of her foot into Kakashi's cheek. He grunted, hardly moving, but head turning to the side. He turned his head slowly to her, and Ichika squeaked at his angry eye. He rushed her grabbing her by the arm and twisting it behind her back. Sasuke jumped to aid her, throwing his body weight down on Kakashi's arm so he had no choice but to release her when his elbow dislocated. Naruto jumped on his back and wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck and his legs around their sensei's waist. Ichika kicked Kakashi in the stomach. While he was stunned, Sasuke _dove_ for the last bell.

Ichika and Naruto disengaged. They landed on either side of Sasuke who held out his fist, letting the bell slide through his fingers. The timmer rang and Naruto and Ichika both cheered while Sasuke grinned victoriously. 

"Hmph," Sasuke grunted, looking at his teammates. "Not bad," he said. 

"Yes, good job," Kakashi said, stalking over to them, holding his injured arm. He gave Sasuke an annoyed look, but the boy didn't falter. If anything he seemed smugger than before. "Sasuke and Ichika both got the bells from me. But Naruto..." He looked at the boy in orange, who was already starting to look hopeless. Disappointed. _Rejected_. "You didn't get one of the bells so I guess that means you're going back to the academy."

Ichika paused, time stood still for just a second. She looked at Naruto's face and saw the hurt devastation in his eyes. She'd looked like that too, every time her mother had told her how disappointed she was. Every time the clan elders told her how much better Izumi was than her. Every time someone told her she was selfish because she put her dreams of being a ninja before the greatness of the clan. She...just couldn't. 

Naruto had turned to walk away, hands in his pockets. Ichika reached out and yanked him back "Wait..." she breathed heavily and put the bell in his hands. It tinkered around while he looked at it in surprise. "You...you deserve it. So take the bell and become the Hokage just like you said you would." She pulled away and laced her fingers together, resigning herself to a life in the Corps.

"No!" Naruto yelled, roughly wrenching her back to him, shoving the bell into her hands. "You were the one who came up with the plan. You were the one who got us all work together. So you should take the bell!" 

"It's okay," she said, pushing the bell back toward him. "You fought just as hard as I did to be here. And...your goals are more important than mine! You're aiming for the top and I...I just wanted adventure. The opportunity to see the world. I could do that in the Corps. Or I could try again next year for a team. You can't give up now, Naruto, you've come so far!" She was shouting at him by the end. 

"So did you!" He yelled back. "You deserve to be a ninja just as much as me! You worked so hard for _years_ to get the scores you did! You're one of the smartest students in our entire class! You devoted your whole life to getting better! Take the bell!" 

"No!" She shouted. "Stop being stubborn! Scores don't matter in the real world! Just take the bell!" 

"No!" He screamed back at her. 

"Yes!" 

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes. "Don't be stubborn, that's rich coming from you." Ichika and Naruto both glared at him. He plucked the bell out of Ichika's hand and grabbed both of them. He quickly tied the bell around their pinkies. He stepped back and crossed his arms. "There...now you both have the bell." 

"Hey, excuse me," Kakashi waved his good hand and three pairs of eyes turned to look at him. "As fun as it is to watch you all scramble around like idiots, I'm the one who gets to decide who passes or fails my test." He looked at them all a second longer before his expression changed to something a little kinder. "You pass," he said. 

"We...pass? All of us?" Naruto asked. 

"That's what I said, isn't it?" He gave them a thumbs up. "Congratulations to the new Team 7." 


End file.
